10 Tips to Find the Perfect Baby Name

You're having a baby! One of the most important things you have to do is pick a name for your child. There are so many names in this world—how do you find them, where should you look, and how do you choose? We're here with some tips to help you find the right fit. Good luck!

1. Search Your Family Tree

If you're looking for a name with historical ties and deep meaning, there's nowhere better to look than your own family tree. Parents and grandparents have names you already know, but maybe a name from 100 years ago (or more!) has that feeling you're looking for. With old names making a huge comeback you'll be right on trend with a name your baby will grow to be proud of.

2. Analyze Trends

Do you want your child's name to be popular, unique, common, or on-trend? Take a peek at your social media feed to check out what your friends from around the country have named their children or check out which baby names are being picked in your city and state by using our Mom365 baby name finder. Knowing what the other children close to your baby's age will be named can help you determine if the name you're thinking of is a good fit.

3. Be Aware of Initials

A perfect baby name isn't only about its spelling or how it sounds—it's also about the initials. While the name Aidan Sebastian might be absolutely perfect for your little guy, if your last name is Smith you're better off picking something else. Consider how your baby's monogram will look to make sure you've really picked a perfect name.

4. Pay Attention to Character Names

Characters from TV, movies, and books can make a formerly-obscure name suddenly popular. Before Game of Thrones' surge of popularity the name Arya was relatively unknown; now it's become a popular choice for newborn girls. That doesn't mean you shouldn’t seek help from these sources. When you're stuck trying to find the perfect name, don't limit your choices to what's in the baby books—inspiration can be found anywhere.

5. Ask for Opinions

If you're unsure about a name, ask for opinions from friends and family. You'll have to prepare yourself for some serious backlash from some people, and unconditional support from others, but it's the easiest way to find out what sort of response a name is going to get. Alternately, if you're set on a name, sometimes it's best to keep it private until baby arrives if you don't want to deal with any negativity.

6. Read a Baby Name Book

Poring over a baby name book is a rite of passage for most new parents. A simple way to see if you and your spouse are on the same page is to take turns looking through the book and writing down a list of names that appeal to you. Compare notes and see if any match. While you may realize that out of 10,000 baby names you only like 3 or 4, look at that as a small victory—you've just eliminated 9,997 baby names. Congratulations!

7. Use a Random Name Finder

Still can't settle on a name or need more ideas? Check out our random baby name finder. Don't be afraid to try out an assortment of name styles and themes. Call the baby-to-be by a different name each day until one feels right if you have to. This is an important decision and you don't want to have any regrets.

8. Make Certain It's Easy to Spell and Pronounce

We all know somebody whose name is difficult to say or spell. While it may seem like a cute idea to create a unique name or a rearrange the spelling of a known name, be sure you're not creating a burden for your child to deal with. If more than a couple of people can't easily figure out how to say the name you're tossing around, you might want to toss it out instead.

9. Say the Name Aloud

You know it's going to happen: Your perfect angel is going to be getting into something while he's already on your last nerve, and you're going to yell out his first, middle, and last name. Try saying (or yelling) a potential name before you settle on it. Make sure the names have a good sound—you're going to be saying them a lot so they might as well have a musical flow to them.

10. Think About Nicknames

If you love a name, but hate the common nickname that comes with it, you're going to need to decide if that's a deal breaker. Remember that kids are both creative and mean, so also look out for names that easily rhyme with insulting words. Nicknames and insults aren't a reason to instantly nix a name, but it should be a consideration. Ultimately, as long as you love the name it will all work out.